November 25, 2020

A Short Introduction to True Wilderness Skills and Survival (#482) | Steven Rinella on The Tim Ferris Show

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Check out the Tim Ferris Show Podcast Page & Episode Notes

Key Takeaways

If you take preparation seriously, there are steps you can take to reduce a lot of the risks of being in the wild
- Little technological preparations allow you to go in the wild places with peace of mind, without feeling as if you entered a “survival situation”
  - “No one thinks you are a wacked out prepper if you have a fire extinguisher, or to have a first-aid kit or homeowners insurance” Steven Rinella
Waterborne pathogens are a real risk you cannot afford to ignore (especially in developing countries)
Steven’s book aims to make people more comfortable and prepared to go to nature
- It teaches you to do proper risk assessments so that you don’t worry about unreasonable fears
- “By being prepared, you do away with the nagging sense in the back of your head of, ‘What would I do if?’ It just frees you up. I want people to have that liberated, swaggering feeling outside.” Steven Rinella

Key Products Mentioned

Steven’s latest book, The MeatEater Guide to Wilderness Skills and Survival
Onxmaps Offline Maps
- Highly detailed aerial and topographical maps you can download on your phone
InReach Satellite Communication Device
- Allows you to send and receive texts via satellite without need of signal

Intro

Steven Rinella (@MeatEaterTV and @stevenrinella) is the host of the Netflix Originals series MeatEater and The MeatEater Podcast. He also authored seven books dealing with wildlife, conservation, hunting, and more.
- Check out these notes from Steve’s previous appearance on the Tim Ferris Show
Host: Tim Ferris (@tferriss)
In this chat, Steven shares some of the most useful tips from his latest books, including the gear that he recommends people to carry with them outdoors

Mitigating Risk in the Wilderness

If you take preparation seriously there are steps you can take to reduce a lot of the risks
- A little technological preparation will allow you to go in the wild places with peace of mind, without feeling as if you entered a “survival situation”
Tools and gadgets to significantly mitigate risk:
- Onxmaps Offline Maps
  - Highly detailed aerial and topographical maps you can download on your phone
  - Allows you to trace your steps and know where there are property boundaries
    - Phone GPS functions even with no signal, making it almost impossible for you to get lost
- InReach Satellite Communication Device
  - Allows you to send and receive texts via satellite without the need for signal
    - You need to pre-program the texts and contacts beforehand and then send them when needed
- If in a cold climate
  - Ice picks that you can hang around your neck
    - Can save your life if you fall in icy water
    - Commonly used among ice fishermen

Essentials Pieces of Gear

Steven arranges his essentials in an OR Backcountry Organizer
- Steven always carries it with him
- A coffee-mug sized bag with lots of pouches
What’s inside Steven’s essentials bag:
- Different medications (ibuprofen, Benadryl, antihistamine)
- Basic first-aid kit
- Needle and dental floss (to sow up clothing)
- Small knife, headlamp, and flashlight
  - Steve’s uses a lightweight, high-quality knife called Bugout
- 2 25-ft length Dyneema Chords
- A tin of cotton balls rubbed in Vaseline
  - Great for fire starters (and won’t give you problems with TSA if you fly)
  - Also useful for blisters and chapped lips
- A multi-tool with different size screws, knife, and tweezers to remove splinters

Preparing for Water

Ideally, you prepare jugs of water in advance to meet your daily needs
If Steven has to source water during the trip, here’s the equipment he uses:
- Nalgene Water Bottle
- A collapsible water bottle
- Single serving water purification iodine tablets
- A Steripen, which purifies water with UV light
Waterborne pathogens are a real risk you cannot afford to ignore (especially in developing countries)
- They can be more dangerous than bears or mountain lions
- You have to be really careful about the source of water you select and take extra measures to filter your water

What to Carry in Your Car

“People die every year in stranded vehicles in this country” Steven Rinella
What Steven keeps in his car
- Freeze-dried food and granola bars
  - Steve wrote an article on freeze-dried food for Outside Online
    - It has a shelf life of 25-30 years, but some people’s stomachs can’t handle it for more than two days
- Camp Stoves
- Water supplies and water purification equipment
- A toolbox
- A battery-powered spotlight
- A battery-powered air pump
- Glow sticks
- A military e-tool (folding shovel)
- Two insulated ponchos
- A thick wool blanket
- Candles to keep the car warm in the winter
  - You do not want to run a camp stove in your car, you could die of carbon monoxide poisoning
Keeping these things can give you peace of mind in any situation
- “No one thinks you are a wacked out prepper if you have a fire extinguisher, or to have a first-aid kit or homeowners insurance” Steven Rinella

Keeping a Supply of Water at Home

Tim shared his experience on the importance of keeping a supply of drinkable water
- A few years ago Austin had a contamination issue with its public water supplies
  - Immediately all stores ran out of drinkable water
- By having an extra supply of water, with one hundred dollars, you can buy yourself peace of mind in case such an event happens again

What Steven Hopes People Get Out of his Book

Steven’s book aims to make people more comfortable and prepared to go to nature
It teaches you do proper risk assessments so that you don’t worry about unreasonable fears
- Even if bad things don’t happen, they live in people’s heads when they are out in the wild, creating anxiety
- Arming yourself with a mental and physical toolkit that the book provides, makes you feel more confident
“By being prepared, you do away with the nagging sense in the back of your head of, ‘What would I do if?’ It just frees you up. I want people to have that liberated, swaggering feeling outside.” Steven Rinella
- You can focus on what you wanted to focus on in the first place

hunting, nature, outdoors
Notes By Giorgio Parlato